Not Without Flaws
by ACMD
Summary: That awkward moment in House's office...the patient's room...what's Cameron to do? HouseCameron (title will be self-explanatory in later chapters) Chapter 5 is UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own House MD; it is created by David Shore, and affiliated to FOX Broadcasting Network.

**Parings:** House/Cameron

**Rating: **K+ basically the equivalent of PG. The highest I will go up to is T (PG-13), so don't expect anyof thosescenes ;

**A/N: I did some research for the medical terms and such. So those are credit to WebMD. I've wanted to a House/Cameron fic for a while now, so that's how it came to be. Inspirations are from the minutes before I sleep, I tend to think a lot, lol. Also, I like to let things develop at a slower pace, just to warn you before hand.**

**As for spoilers, this is more of a 'on-the-side' story, but there will be reference to the eps. For the first chapter, it will be all episodes up until Heavy (though I don't think there is . . .) **

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

Not Without Flaws _

_Chapter 1_

* * *

House slid his armchair back and turned on his conventional, black stereo. A talk show of some sort rang out but it was abruptly stopped as he switched the radio to FM. Why listen to talk shows anyway? After all, half the people involved don't have a clue what they're talking about. ". . . let's see now, I'm in the mood for some . . . rock?" The display now read '106.5' as he adjusted a small knob. A commercial about detergent cleaners sounded, House cursed under his breath. _Blasted commercials, just another factor that will eventually be used by future historians to explain man's downfall . . ._

Walking toward House's office, Cameron could see through the glass panes that House was enjoying his lunch break, lying back in his chair. _I guess that's an improvement, as opposed to playing his Gameboy. Or what was that new device that came out . . . ? The . . . _She looked down the corridor absent mindedly; a small boy deeply engaged in his handheld immediately jogged her memory. _Oh right, the DS. _

Pushing the glass door open, she realized House was listening to the radio, a commercial was playing. _Good, talk to him when he's not listening to music . . . or he'd blow. _Cameron cleared her throat to get his attention, "Dr. House--"

"Ah Cameron," House looked up. _No. Don't do that next time. _Reminding himself, he looked away and as the sight of Cameron gave him an airy feeling in the stomach. "And how are we doing on this fine day?" He asked casually. Noticing the commercial about Krup's Ketchup was over, House rejoiced inside waited for a song to come one.

"The test--" Cameron stopped, a song had started and the music was getting quite loud, she wasn't going to try and talk over it. No sane person would ever try to compete with a megabass stereo turned up near to its limit. Instead, she thought she'd just wait until it ended. Glancing over at House, she noticed that he was apparently not aware of the amount of decibels his stereo was dismissing, nor of Cameron's sudden stop, and seemed to be enjoying the music. If you could call it that, it was more like an angry, husky toned lady . . . yelling; it was easy to make out the chorus though . . .

"_Why do you love me  
Why do you love me  
Why do you love me it's driving me crazy  
Why do you love me  
Why do you lov_----_"_

The room was suddenly devoid of sound as House hastily reached over and turned the power off. The chorus seemed to be echoing, ringing out again and again. An awkward silence filled the room as Cameron stood still in front of the door, her lips pursed, and her brows slightly raised. House's head raced against time as he opened his mouth to say something smart, something cruel; anything. But his mind went blank and nothing came out. _Damn!_ He closed his mouth, and opened them again, but before he could say anything, Cameron's voice cut in.

"Why Do You Love Me, by _Garbage_. I heard it back a while ago." Sensing the prolonged silence, she continued quickly. "It's . . . a nice song." It was a lie, but nothing else came to her mind.

". . . Ah." House gave a hesitant nod; he could feel his sardonic old self coming back to him. _Thank God . . ._ "Well aren't we smart. You deserve a gold star." He scrunched up his nose and gave a big grin.

Cameron gave an irritated smile, "Why thank you." Before House could say more, she started again. "Look Dr. House, I know you're on your lunch break, but the test came in positive. We've confirmed the diagnosis. It's sarcoidosis." She gave a chuckle, "Hey, what do you know, it rhymes!" a smile crossed her lips and she gave a little shrug, she hadn't meant for it to rhyme.

House couldn't help but emit a small smile. He nodded, "That's great news. Well, not _great_, but at least we can start him on the right treatment. It will last for a fairly long time though, it all depends. Start him on the corticosteroids, you know which one to use. Oh, be sure to keep him on the oxygen regulator periodically, his respiratory system won't be stable for at least another 3 months. We certainly wouldn't want him out of breath again. . . hmmm . . . why do I still have the suspicion that the last time he was short of breath was caused not by the inflammation of his lung tissues, but of a certain female presence in the room?" He squinted at Cameron, "Do you happen to recall?"

Sighing, Cameron half rolled her eyes and turned to the glass door. _Ah . . . the doorway to my freedom. I couldn't ask for more. _She pulled it open, "Alright, I'll start him on the treatment." She muttered without glancing back, the last she heard before the door closed quietly was a shout out from House, something about it being a better idea if Chase or Foreman treated the patient. Walking on, she ignored his comment, _and what do I see in him? _Cameron hoped her mind would answer with something similar to 'no clue', but all thoughts of House quickly swarmed her and – _No Allison! Don't even think about that! _She shook her head vigorously and hurried to the patient's room.

Back in his office, House twirled his cane skillfully between his fingers, an amused grin hung on his lips.

> > >

"So Joseph, how are you feeling?" Cameron walked into the patient's room, a man in his late twenties lay on the bed. His face was covered in a rash of a painful shade of red, an oxygen mask was strapped onto him. He turned his head with effort as the young doctor walked in.

"Dr. Cameron. Hi." He rasped through the mask. Cameron lifted his head up gently and uncovered the mask from his face. "There, better? You can have it off for the next hour or so."

"Thank you." Joseph's voice was weak and sounded harsh. "My joints, they ache." He paused to inhale a breath of air before exhaling it, "Especially my shoulders . . ." the man twisted his shoulders and from his expressions, you could tell it was excruciatingly sore.

"Great." _No not great! What am I saying? House is having a bad influence on me. _"Uh, what I mean is that painful joints are another one of the symptoms presented in the disease of sarcoidosis. This is what we believe-- well, what we've confirmed that you have.

"S . . . sarcoi . . ?"

"Yes. Sarcoidosis, Joseph." Cameron continued, "It is a very rare disease, and unfortunately at this stage in human advancement, it isn't possible to reverse the effects, but we can prevent further damage to your lungs; with corticosteroids, specifically prednisone to stop the inflammation."

"How long . . ?" he gave a small cough, and attempted to clear his throat.

"Looking at your conditions, I'm guessing around a year . . ." Seeing distress craw across the patient's face, Cameron searched for something that would comfort him. ". . . Well, you never know. You might be able to get out in just 6 months." She gave a hopeful smile.

Joseph gave a small nod and forced a weak smile.

"Joseph, Dr. Chase will be here soon to give you your first dose of the prednisone. If you need anything, the nurse is always here. I'll remind her about your oxygen mask." Cameron grabbed the clipboard from the patient's bedside, where his periodic conditions were recorded down by the nurses, and turned to leave.

"Dr. Cameron . . ." Joseph managed to call out.

Cameron turned around, her eyebrows flicked up questioningly. "Is something wrong?"

"Could you . . . come here for a second . . ?"

The young doctor frowned slightly, puzzled. But nevertheless, she walked over and tugged the patient's blanket up higher, in hopes of comforting him. Her hands rested on the covers as she waited for him to speak.

"Umm . . ." Joseph shifted around, "I . . ." he looked up into Cameron's eyes and breathed sharply as he became aware of her deep blue eyes, there seemed to be no end to them . . . He swallowed.

"Joseph?" a look of concern swept over Cameron's face. "Are you alright? What are you experiencing?" Her frown deepened, "Joseph, what--"

Cameron was stunned, her jaws fell down slightly.

The young man had taken her hand in his. "Dr. Cameron . . . I just wanted to tell you . . . that, you can call me Joe." With his other hand, he placed it gently on top of Cameron's and gave a smile.

Cameron drew her hand away immediately. "I- I'm sorry . . ." She backed away a few steps. " . . . Joseph . . ." she breathed out quietly, avoiding the young man's gaze. Turning to escape the room quickly, she gave a small gasp as she was caught off guard by the sight of House standing outside the glass window. His sapphires were staring straight at her, they had a twinkle of amusement in them.

_Dr. House! No! I-- _The stiffening silence seemed to strangle Cameron as she tried to do something, anything. She knew that running out there and explaining to him what happened would have been best, but her legs refused to carry her. House raised his eyebrows to the sky, and slowly started to turn.

_Wait! _Cameron finally regained physical control of her body. She sped out the door and headed for the direction he had turned to. There it was, the steady outline of House, limping away. _Damn! _She lost sight of him as a sea of patients, nurses, and doctor swarmed her view. Her run turned into a saunter and eventually a stop.

Cameron caught her breath and after a few moments, she gave up. Giving a deep sigh, she leaned on the nearby wall and tilted her head back. House's comment repeated itself in her head _. . . that the last time he was short of breath was caused not by the inflammation of his lung tissues, but of a certain female presence in the room . . . but of a certain female presence in the room . . . a certain female presence . . . _Cameron sighed again. _I just had to fall for a guy that knows all. _She shook her head at herself and headed down to the lab. She would have to talk to House later.

**

* * *

A/N: The rhyming thing with 'diagnosis' and 'sarcoidosis' was not actually intended, ; I was really shocked when I reread that passage and found it to rhyme. So I made some changes to include that little bad joke, heheh, sorry. **

**Hope you liked it, I'd appreciate any feedback **

**ACMD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own House MD; it is created by David Shore, and affiliated to FOX Broadcasting Network.

**Parings:** House/Cameron

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed! I've taken in consideration for your suggestions (if you gave any) as long as it was compatible with what I have in mind for the story. So . . . here it is. I've included others in the cast, the only reason I didn't in the last chapter was because I wanted to keep each chapter at about that length, it would have gotten too long. Hopefully the mix of others is a plus. **

**Spoilers for this chapter are still up until Heavy (reference to Pilot).**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

Not Without Flaws_

_Chapter 2_

"Can you believe it? I was actually right." House pushed the door open. On the glass was neatly printed 'James Wilson M.D.'

"Couldn't you at least knock?" Wilson hastily shoved the piece of paper he was reading under a pile of documents.

House blinked, taken aback, "Well, someone woke up from the wrong wide of the bed today. Or maybe he slept on the couch." He slumped down on the nearest armchair and rubbed his knee. "Ugh . . . I never thought escaping a woman would be such hard work."

"This isn't a refugee camp. And I don't need Cuddy on my case right now. I have things to deal with." He exhaled and brushed a strand of hair away from his view.

"Cuddy? Whoever said that?" House faked a confused look. "But what do you mean, you have _things_ to deal with?" He pushed himself up, and with the support from his cane, he walked over to Wilson's desk. "Let me see this." He reached in and picked up a few documents.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Wilson placed a hand on the stack of paper sprawled all over his desk protectively. "Those are important test results for my patient."

"Huh." House scanned the document, "So indeed . . . what about those?" he gestured toward the paper under Wilson's hand.

"They're--the--oh forget it. Ever heard of the saying, curiosity killed the cat?" Wilson gave a questioning look with his eyebrows raised.

"It did?" House exclaimed sarcastically, "Well I don't see any dead cats around here. But then again . . . what's that funny smell . . ." he sniffed the air. "Correct me if I'm wrong, _doctor_, but . . . perfume?" he squinted.

"No! No, I am not wearing perfume to make myself seem attractive, or whatever nonsense you think all the time." Wilson said, clearly irritated.

"I never said that, you're the one who is implying it." House gave a blank look. "Oh don't worry. I can keep your little secret." He winked. "After all, inviting your female nurse friends over for lunch isn't so bad. Just make sure you're including the new comers too, they wouldn't want to feel left out." He wagged a finger.

Wilson buried his face in his hands and shook his head. When he lifted his head up, he was greeted with a triumphant smirk on House's face. "Look, I'm not even going to continue on this topic. I'll just have you know that absolutely nothing of the sort is going on." He paused for emphasize. "Now what was it that you wanted to talk about? Or did you just come here to amuse yourself. Break was over ten minutes ago you know." Wilson walked out from behind his desk and retrieved his lab coat from the cloth hanger.

"Why? The reason of seeing a friend doesn't quite cut it?" He lifted his brows.

Wilson half rolled his eyes. "Fine. If you have nothing nice to say, I'll be heading on to my clinic duties." He walked over to the door and turned the knob. He looked back at House, waiting to see if he had anything else smart to say.

_Should I tell him about . . ? No. It's no big deal anyway . . . _House hobbled forward a few steps. "Have fun. Take it easy on those patients; it's hard for some of them to take all of Dr. James Wilson in at once." He flicked up a brow suggestively.

Wilson sighed and hurried out the door to the clinic rooms. _Let's just hope Cuddy's occupied in a meeting somewhere . . ._

House cheered inwardly. _No clinic duty for me! Ha . . ._

_ > > >_

"Oh there you are." Chase caught sight of Cameron and hurried to catch up with her. "Hey, I was wondering if you could deliver the prednisone to Joseph. I've got a seminar to attend to, Professor Glenmore's _Analysis on __Pneumothorax_. It's an interesting topic and it'll help with our current patient's conditions. So . . .?"

"What? But . . . um . . ." The scene from moments earlier replayed in Cameron's head. _Oh please no . . . _"I'm, uh . . . not really familiar with the treatment with prednisone and--"

Chase cut her off, disbelief in his tone. "Oh come on! What have you been learning all those years in med school?"

Cameron opened her mouth to explain but Chase held up a hand to stop her. "You know what, if you're busy too, that's fine. I'll go find Foreman." A wave of guilt panged inside Cameron, she stopped Chase as he was about to speed up. "No no, it's fine. I'll take care of it." _No! What am I saying? I can't possibly go back in there again, argh . . ._

Chase brightened, "Thank a million, Cam. I'll tell you how the seminar went." He smiled and walked off, waving a goodbye.

When Chase disappeared out of sight, Cameron groaned, a pained expression oh her face. _Okay, calm down. Think . . ._ She breathed in deeply and let out the breath of air. _Alright, I'll go fine Foreman, and— _"AAH!"

Cameron let a small scream and quickly covered her mouth with her hand as she received critical glares from the few nurses and patients that wondered this hallway. Someone had walked up beside without her awareness.

"People can get a heart attack from that you know. When those medical bills come pouring into your mailbox, you'll realize that you're not overpaid." A familiar voice mocked.

"Dr. House?" She exclaimed quietly. Then a surge of weariness came over her as she remembered that moment in the patient's room. "I . . ."

" . . ." Suddenly, House couldn't think of anything to say. _Damn it, not again? Hanging around this girl is bad news alright. But . . . _House shook himself mentally. _How many times do I have to repeat this, don't think about . . ._

"Umm . . ." Cameron searched for a way to explain what happened. "You . . . saw, right?"

House semi pouted and pursed his lips. "Yeah." He gave a nod. "Uh, so you see? What did I tell you? Never doubt me." He started to hobble in the direction they were first headed.

_I never did . . . and probably never will, seeing that even with _this Cameron thought, but what came out of her mouth was, "How did you know?" She walked beside House, questioning him with her own sapphires.

House glanced at her and quickly retrieved it to gaze ahead "Ahh . . . I'm glad you asked. As I said before, like your genetic gift of beauty, mine is the genetic gift of intelligence." He couldn't resist giving a wink.

Cameron felt her cheeks slowly heating up, she could almost sense them taking on a rosier shade. Quickly, she cast her glance to the ground. It wasn't the first time House had said this, he had commented so when she asked him why he hired her. Thinking back to that time, Cameron remembers feeling appalled by her boss's response. _I hired you because you are extremely pretty . . . because you look good; it's like having a nice piece of art in the lobby. _But now . . .

"Cameron?" Sensing the silence from the young doctor, House turned to see what was wrong.

"Huh? Oh." _Am I still blushing? Oh dear God . . . _"Uh. Yeah, that's must be it." She lowered her head down slightly, now feeling like her cheeks were burning. _But now . . . it feels so different . . . almost like, I want him to mean it . . . No, I don't! . . . Do I?_

_Huh. She's blushing. _House mused over the fact, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "Where are you headed?"

_Breathe Allison; Breathe . . . _"Joseph's room." _Oh no! I forgot about that! Damn. _

"Really?" House stated it more than asked, "Well then I should get going. Don't want to disturb your little reunion like I did last time." He started to turn to the way leading towards the lab. Before Cameron could retaliate, he quickly continued.

"I'm going to check on Foreman. You know, those medical equipments were a gift from the state. They forgot to mention they bought it with _our_ taxes though, oops. Wouldn't want him selling them for a profit, they might not be completely contaminant free." He pulled his lips back to make a face.

Cameron chuckled, "You and Foreman have this thing, huh?" She turned to the way House was headed. "Wait up, I'm going with you. You were right, it would be better if Foreman took care of the patient." She gave a genuine nod.

"Of course, I'm always right." House had a satisfying grin on his face. "Again, never doubt me."

"I won't." Cameron grinned back.

> > >

"Alright. Here's how you do it." Foreman produced a standard sized bottle and shook it, liquid gurgled inside.

"It's real simple. Measure out two teaspoon of this prednisone intensol, and drink it everyday before 9 a.m. You could mix it into juice or something, but I'm sure you don't need to, it ain't that bad." He shrugged.

Joseph nodded. "9 a.m. . . . why?"

"It's so you're ingesting it when your body's semi-cleansed, no food in there etc. It works best that way. In fact, it only works that way, so I suggest setring an alarm on your watch, it'll help."

"Oh okay. That sounds easy enough." Joseph reached out with his hand to accept the bottle.

"Hang on, I gotta tell you the side effects. Standard procedure." Foreman turned the bottle and squinted at its label. "Side effects include stomach upset, headache, dizziness, trouble sleeping, or weight gain. Serious and unlikely side effects include heartburn, menstrual period changes—oops, sorry, that doesn't apply to you. Also increased thirst and urination—you know what, just take it." Foreman handed the bottle to Joseph, "It's not like we'll let you stop taking it if any of the aforementioned symptoms occur. So . . . good luck." He raised his eyebrows, looking sympathetic. "You'll be moved to a different area now that your conditions are fairly stable, there will be nurses to assist you in your medication. Rest well, it was nice . . . meeting you." He nodded and turned, leaving for the door.

" . . . Is Dr. Cameron going to see me off . . .?" There was a whisper from the hospital bed.

Foreman resisted the urge to raised one of his brows. _So that's why Cam insisted on me coming down here. Huh, interesting. Poor guy . . . _"I think you need to know this, buddy. Dr. Cameron is taken." _Or, proclaimed it herself. Either way. _

Joseph's eyes widened slightly, he was clearly surprised. "I-I'm so sorry, Dr. Foreman. I didn't know that you--"

Foreman cut him off. "Oh no, it's not me. Don't worry about it." He said simply, "It's just some lucky bastard." He grinned and left the room, leaving his patient in plain bemusement.

**

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry, I promise that the next chapter will be interesting ; really. I had to conclude this case first before I move on to the next. I have several events planned but I'm not sure if I'll include all of those in this particular story. Hope it wasn't too horrible ;; again, my apologies.**

**If it pleases you, at least I'll now be slaving away with major research. Wish me luck! And I'll try to update every week or so, but it all depends on my school work, and of course, the research.**

**ACMD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own House MD; it is created by David Shore, and affiliated to FOX Broadcasting Network, Heel and Toe Productions, etc.

**Parings:** House/Cameron

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: ****Thank you all the reviewers! Glad you're enjoying the story so far. :) I'm a fan of Foreman's too, so it was nice to add him in.**

**Sorry for the long wait, research was excruciatingly frustrating, it was hard to find a place to start, but I think I have the general resolution down.**

**Now that Cameron left (she'll come back, trust me) that changes everything. I'm not going to make her leave in this one though; it's too much work and messes up my plans. So I guess all spoilers will be up to Heavy.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

Not Without Flaws _

_Chapter 3_

* * *

It was the next morning. Cuddy sat behind her desk, arranging the files and documents that lay on her desk. _Better get everything all set up before that--Vogler gets here . . ._

"Dr. Cuddy! Enjoying this lovely morning, are we?"

Cuddy let out a frustrated sigh. She didn't even look up, the mordant tone could only belong to House. "Shouldn't you be playing your little game of 'solve-the-mysterious-disease'?" She mocked, annoyance in her voice.

"Why I'd love to, but unfortunately, there aren't any victims right now to use as clues." House walked over to a piece of art hanging on the wall. Apparently, it was an abstract interpretation of a . . . or what looked to be, a person. "Hey, nice photo, that was a year ago right, when you were still 40?" He turned and gave a questioning look.

Cuddy's head cocked to one side, and her jaw hung down slightly. "_Excuse me_?" She shook her head. _Just. Ignore him. _"You know what, seeing as you have so much time to be making these 6 year old jokes, why don't' you just go and do some clinic duties?"

"Sure, just like Cinderella's stepmother feeding the chickens, I'll be there in a flash. Oh and, 6 year olds can't make good jokes. You have to admit, _that_, was good." He gave one big nod.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Go. Just go and do your clinic hours." She held her palms out in front of her, "No, I know. You don't have to until tomorrow, but here's the deal, if you get it done today, I'll let you pass tomorrow. This isn't something I offer everyday, so take up your chances." Arching her brows, Cuddy waited for a reply. _Not that I need to, it's going to be a no—_

"No chance. The more I can delay this . . . thing, the better. Who knows? If I did the hours and died tonight, I'll have had to endure more torture than God meant for me to. You do the math." He turned and limped toward the door. It swung open and missed him by an inch as a great size of a silhouette trudged in.

"Good morning Dr. Cuddy. 'Morning Dr. House." Vogler smiled, he was greeted with a silence. "Sorry, was I interrupting something? I guess I'll just--"

"Ah no, I was just telling Dr. House that he should be getting on to his clinic hours." Cuddy cut in, she didn't need Vogler making up any more stories.

House looked back and gave Cuddy a stern glare. _How very kind of you. _"Uh, well, I'll be on my way then." He passed Volger and couldn't resist but whisper, "Don't snatch any breakfast from the cafeteria, I hear the servers pick their nose." House widened his eyes for effect, and staggered off, a smug look hung on his face. Infuriated and unable to think of anything to fire back, Vogler called out. "Those clinic hours had better be filled House, or you're gone!"

_Way for the whole staff list to know, bastard . . . _House unscrewed the lid of his Vicodin bottle and popped in two pills, he hasn't been having so much in the past few days, _But Vogler just absolutely can not let it be . . . _He arrived at the check-in counter, when he spoke, there was aggravation in his tone. "Dr. Gregory House. Checking in at . . ." he glanced at the clock that hung on the far wall, "8:13."

> > >

"He said that?" Cameron raised her brows, and gave a small laugh.

"Yeah, he sure did." Foreman laughed, "'Glad you refused him though, patients and doctors don't work out. Trust me."

Cameron just shook her head, trying to keep a straight face.

The gleeful atmosphere was immediately shrouded as Chase burst into the room. The look on his face told the two that something serious came up.

> > >

"Dizziness, head aches. And you mentioned bumping into the dishwasher?"

House's patient nodded. She was a woman in her thirties with brilliant blue eyes and a big flirtatious smile. She batted her eye lashes. "Do you want to go out for coffee?"

House exhaled, "Alright, let's add delirious onto that list. You--"

The door swung open, Cameron was there was a flicker of urgency in her eyes. "Excuse me." She gave the woman an apologetic look and moved closer to House so the quiet volume of her voice was audible. "Swelling of lower body joints, rash, and temperature is a shocking 107.6°F."

House cocked his head to one said and gasped. "Oh how terrible! Rheumatoid arthritis! Leave some work for the physicians Cameron, they all have families to feed. Well, I'm not sure about that one fellow . . ."

Cameron gave a frustrated glare, "The girl is only eight years old!"

_Well that changes everything. You could have said that to begin with . . . _Without a word, House started for the door, his patient let out an estranged cry. "What about me?" House stopped and sighed, "You know why I refused your little date offer?" he turned around.

_Date--? _Cameron concealed her surprise, curious to learn more.

"It's because I'm not attracted to blue contacts. Go see an optimist, it's those lenses that are bothering you." House swallowed a few Vicodin pills and headed out the door, his silhouette bobbing slowly out of sight.

". . ." There was an elongated silence in the room. ". . . I suggest Dr. Steiner in the optics department." Cameron gave the woman a hesitant nod and hurried out to catch up with House. _Hmm . . . so he doesn't like blue contacts huh . . .?_ The fact engrossed Cameron and she couldn't help but let a content grin creep across her lips.

> > >

House paced in front of the blank white board, playing with the marker that was in his hand. "High fever, aching joints, and a rash, symptoms of arthritis . . ." he extended his neck out slightly, disbelief was written all over his face, ". . . in an eight year old?"

"Yes, we know." Foreman leaned back in his chair, "But that's what's being presented to us. The girl was burning too high a fever to leave us with any other information. Although, she has a slight eye irritation."

"Systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis." Chase stated, obviously confident with his diagnosis.

"But systemic JRA that doesn't explain the redness of her eyes." Cameron shook her head, slightly annoyed by Chase's arrogance.

Chase was not convinced. "Oh come on. It was probably just an allergy symptom. I mean if you haven't noticed, it _is_ spring right now."

"Ah ha. Chase is exactly right." Chase looked self-satisfied as these words escaped House's lips. Seeing him, House continued. "You're exactly right in the sense that it may be an allergic reaction. So don't overlook that. . ." The smugness instantaneous faded from Chase's face; he watched as House wrote 'Allergic reaction' onto the white board.

"Triggered by a virus maybe?" Foreman suggested. House nodded and made the addition to the board.

"But the problem is," Cameron frowned. "How do the two relate? JRA and an infection of the eyes? The two don't mix; JRA could affect major organs of the human body, but definitely not the sensory features."

House noted down 'Infection' and squinted into the distance, deep in thought. After a few seconds, he spoke. "Get me a blood sample, I'll test it myself."

There was definitely incredulity radiating from the young doctors. A moment of silence was present for the words to sink in. "Wait . . . _you_ want to--" Cameron began, but was instantly interrupted by House. "Yes. Didn't I say that just ten seconds ago? What is it with people these days? They just have to have a confirmation. It's like shopping online, 'are you sure you wish to purchase this item?' Geez, and they're trying to make money?" House shook his head, popping a few Vicodin pills into his mouth as he hobbled out, back to his office.

> > >

Work time was long supposed to have ended, but House was still stuck in the hospital. _It takes that long to get a blood sample? Damn it, I'm missing out on General Hospital. _House frowned, at least he had finally arrived at the lab, his leg was being particularly hard on him today. A sharp jerk of pain seared through, causing House to bend down, straining for his Vicodin. _Blasted leg . . ._

He opened the glass door open and immediately closed it as a strong pang of a noxious gas hit him. He scrunched up his nose and blew out a breath of air. _Crap. Someone must have spilt phenol in there while they were extracting the DNA. Bad news. _House looked down the dimly lit hallway, there was not a person in sight. "Shit." He cursed under his breath, _if someone went in there unaware, then . . ._ House cursed again, he had no choice but to go in, after all, Cameron was supposed to have delivered the sample just moments ago.

House brought his arm up and covered his nose with his sleeve. It would be _really_ bad news if he fainted in there, the chances of someone coming into this lab at this hour was slim, he had to move fast. _Pfft. Yeah, I'll move fast alright. _House slipped himself inside and quickly closed the door behind him, the gas would have to be dealt with by professionals, but meanwhile, he needed to prevent any leakage to the rest of the building.

The strong odor caused House to let out a few coughs. S_omeone must have spilt a _lot_ of phenol. Idiot. _With the fastest he could manage, House hobbled around the columns of lab tables. When he arrived at the far one, sure enough, there were bits of broken glass on the floor, the remains of a glass jar sat atop a magnetic stirrer. _Must have put on too much spin, when will people learn . . . _

Seeing that the room was clear, House started for the door. His mind was getting cloudy now, _Come on Greg, just like the old lacrosse games, a few more steps . . . the crowd will go crazy . . . _Distant memories was flowing in House's mind. It was hard to breathe. _Stacy . . . _He gave a violent cough, it shook him out of his trans. _Damn it, I can do this. _With effort, he was able to bring his arm up and get a grip on the door handle. He pushed down on it and pulled the door open. The hallway was so close . . . yet so far, as darkness shrouded his vision. House managed to close the door, but his leg gave in, and he collapsed on the ground with a thud, his cane skidded out away from him.

The thud bounced off the walls and echoed through out the hallway. _What was that? _Cameron had just put on her coat, ready to leave. It had been a long day. She knew the concerned parents' pain, so she had to do _something_ to help, even just staying with them and explaining the situation. _That came from the direction of the lab--The lab? But no one's . . . House! _Cameron abandoned her plans and hurried to the lab with a running step.

There he was, painfully sprawled on the floor. "House!" Cameron knelt down beside him, she took his shoulders and shook them. Cameron leaned the side of her face to his lips, no breath came out. _Shit._ _He's unconscious. _A deep frown swept over her brows, she felt as if her heart would burst out at any moment, it was beating so hard. Carefully, Cameron turned him on his back. _What to do . . . you're a doctor Allison, think! There's only . . ._

Without hesitation, Cameron quickly stripped off her coat. With both of her hands placed on his chest, she pressed down once. Twice. _Damn it's not helping! _Leaning down again, she placed her hands on his jaw and suddenly, CPR didn't seem like such a good idea. Their faces were inches apart from each other, the rough texture of his stubble made her fingers tingle, and the silence around them was suffocating. Cameron could hear the unsteady pattern of her breathing. Just for a second, she hesitated. _This is not a high school crush Allison, it's a matter of life and death! _

Gently, Cameron brought House's jaws apart. She took a deep breath and leaned down. Just as their lips were about to make contact, House's eyes flew open. His crystals entangled in a deadly lock with hers and time seemed to freeze.

**

* * *

A/N: I hope that lived up to what I promised—interesting. Inspiration is from the incident at my parent's lab. Someone spilt phenol, which is highly toxic and used for extracting and determining DNA sequences. What's funny is, this is kind of a recap of the event, same cause and effect. And no, when you inhale it you don't die, but you will faint if there is an excessive amount, it can also result to respiratory problems. **

**I think everyone knows this but, CPR is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (mouth-to-mouth).**

**So much medical research, give me some credit! ;)**

**ACMD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own House MD; it is created by David Shore, and affiliated to FOX Broadcasting Network.

**Parings:** House/Cameron

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: Thanks again reviewers, you guys rock :D So here's more . . .**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

Not Without Flaws

_Chapter 4_

* * *

As Cameron looked down into House's mesmerizing orbs, she prayed that he could not hear the heavy pounding of her heart.

She tried to pull her head back but instead, she breathed out. ". . .House . . ."

House passed out.

Maybe it was the phenol, maybe it was the gentle heaving of Cameron's chest, or maybe it was the warmth of her breath on his lips, when she uttered his name.

> > >

House opened his eyes. The world slowly adjusted itself into focus. _What in the . . .? _He tried to prop himself up and noticed his elbows received little support. They sank into the soft padding underneath. House grunted. W_here am I? _He looked down around him and realized that he was in a bed.

"Coffee?" Came an unmistakably familiar voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Cameron?" House frowned, still feeling dazed. "What are you doing in my room?"

Cameron let out a small laugh and arched her brows. "I should ask you the same thing!" she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Here." She extended the mug that she had in her hands. "This'll make you feel better."

"What?" House looked slightly alarmed as he managed to sit himself up, ignoring Cameron's offer. "This is . . . _your _bed?" A thousand possibilities flashed through his mind and for the first time in his life, House wished he was wrong.

"What did you think?" Cameron swerved the mug, letting the bittersweet aroma of the coffee beans fill the room. "I'm not going to hold this all day you know."

Vaguely, House accepted the mug. He didn't look too well. "Umm . . . Cameron . . ?" his eyes strayed ahead; they were glazed.

"Yeah?" Cameron cocked her head to one side questioningly.

"We didn't . . . uh . . ." House spun a finger in the air, straining for a way to word his concerns. "You know . . . _do _anything . . . did we?"

The outburst of Cameron's laugh was enough to relieve him. _Damn. I can't believe I just asked—you crippled old fool, Greg . . . _Cameron was definitely not about to let him off the hook with this one. "_Do _anything?" she mimicked. "Did you really think you'd get _that _lucky? Yeah . . . maybe in your dreams." She gave another laugh.

House gave himself a mental beating, how could he have been so careless. He got his act together before speaking again. "Taking advantage of a cripple and then denying it? Save some dignity!"

"Taking—? Is this how you always thank people after they save you?" Cameron sat in a bit further on the bed, causing House to retreat his leg hastily. "Ugh." The pain seared through his thigh, he gritted his teeth.

"House?" Cameron looked worried.

"Oh don't just sit there! Where's my Vicodin?" He reached down to his pant pocket, but to his horror, found himself in his boxers. "Shit. You not only take away my lifeline, but leave me helplessly in shame?" House glared, thankful that his undershirt was still on.

Cameron explained defensively. "After you passed out, I found Dr. Wilson, who carried you in here and—"

"Don't lie." House cut in. "I know that's not true. Okay, so maybe I did pass out . . ." he was having flashbacks. "But I know Wilson would never—"

"Well apparently, he and his wife were in a dispute. He didn't think bringing a mean-spirited old man home would help with the situation. Frankly, I agree." She gave him and blank look before continuing. "So . . . I volunteered to take c—responsibility of you—"

"Wait a minute. Cut all that crap. My point was—you _stripped_ me down?" he raised an eyebrow.

Cameron rolled her eyes in response. "Use some common sense. If I left you in your clothes, you would have caught a cold after you woke up." She paused. "Just be grateful that _I _'stripped' you down, and not Wilson."

House pondered for a moment. "Huh. Point taken." He brought the mug to his lips and let the warmth of its contents regenerate him. "Mmm. Good. But not good enough. I need my Vicodin; the leg is killing me." He held out a hand palm up.

"Alright." Cameron retrieved House's pants from a nearby chair and tossed it to him. "There. It's waffles for breakfast, don't complain." She started towards the door.

"Breakfast? I slept the night here?" House looked bewildered. _Phenol shouldn't have kept me out that long . . ._

"You were tired no doubt. Don't blame me. You're the one that slept so long."

"Well . . ." he set the mug aside. "As long as you didn't use any date rape drugs . . ."

Cameron chuckled and shook her head. "Hurry up and get dressed, the waffles are getting cold." With a smile, she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

House found his Vicodin bottle and dry swallowed a few. _Curse that girl for being so . . . obscenely_ niceHe sighed and laid back, spreading his arms out on the bed linen. A faint pang of lilac reminded House where he was. He sat up abruptly and swung his legs over the side. _Damn it Greg . . . this is _not_ good . . . you have officially spent a night in your gorgeous female co-worker's bed. _House shook his head at himself and quickly slid his pants on. He reached for his shirt. It lay on the chair, neatly folded.

> > >

Cameron was opening the kitchen cupboards when House hobbled into view. "Honey syrup?" She asked. "Or maple?"

"I don't think I can take any more sweetness." House pursed his lips slightly. "But . . . maple." He moved over to the table and pulled out a chair, inviting himself to a seat.

Cameron reached up. _Damn it. _The syrup bottle was only inches away. "A little help here?" she motioned with a tilt of her head. House exhaled and got himself up, starting toward her. "How did you get it there in the first place?"

"I must have shoved it in a bit too far and . . ." House had stopped behind her. He was so close. Cameron angled her head ever so slightly and looked into his sapphires. _This is just like a replay of that time in the lab . . . _She inhaled as House reached up with his arm and retrieved the bottle with little effort. "Here." He turned to face her.

". . . Thanks." Cameron breathed out. She wanted to kiss him so bad right now, it hurt. House saw the petty recoil in her body language and the flicker of distress in her brows. "Heartburn?" he inquired nonchalantly, his voice soft.

Cameron's lips broke into a sad smile.

"I think it is."

She looked away, breaking the eye contact they had held for so long. She made her way to the table and took a seat. House followed silently and sat down next to her.

"Well . . . have you . . . tried any medications yet?" House asked, unsure. He knew what she really meant by _heartburn_.

_Medications? How can you ask me that? _Cameron felt her eyes start to water and forced it back. She poured some syrup on her waffle unhurriedly. "No . . ." she picked up her knife and fork. "Because I know they won't work."

A small silence donned the room before House spoke. "You shouldn't ignore it." He poured a generous helping of syrup on his own waffle and started cutting. "It'll get worse if you don't find something to ease it." He stuck a piece in his mouth and chewed. "Mmn. Pretty good."

Cameron had only start to cut her serving. "Thing is . . ." she lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. "The source, and the treatment . . ." she lingered for a moment, ". . . are one."

**

* * *

**

A/N: I'll have to balance doing this story and my other one 'The Line Between Truth and Deception' (give it a try if you want). But I think I'll write one chapter for this, then one for the other. :)

**ACMD**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own House MD; it is created by David Shore, and affiliated to FOX Broadcasting Network.

**Parings:** House/Cameron

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: Arg! I'm so sorry, I gave up on my 'fan fiction writing life' (as you've probably noticed) but I came back and read some reviews, and I really truly feel bad :( for those of you still willing to read, I have chapter 5. I wrote this awhile ago, I just never typed everything up. **

**My apologies, please criticize!**

_

* * *

Not Without Flaws_

_Chapter 5_

* * *

House had nothing to say in response as he finished his waffle. It's been a while since he's had a decent breakfast.

"Got milk?" He said suddenly, breaching the silence in the atmosphere.

Cameron chuckled softly. "Yeah. It's in the refrigerator. Help yourself."

"And the cups?" He leaned himself out of the chair.

"Mmn . . ." Cameron looked around the room, searching with her eyes. "I really need to buy some more cups, the only spare was that mug I gave you. Did you leave it in my bedroom?" Her heart skipped a beat. _In my _bedroom_? That doesn't sound right . . ._

"Yep. I'm not going back there to get it. Too far." What House failed to mention was the effect of the scent in the room. He heard Cameron mumble something along the lines of "Lazy butt . . ." and continued. "What was that? Lend me yours? Why thank you! How very generous." House reached in and grabbed the white mug that sat on the table in front of Cameron.

She cocked her head to one side and allowed a small pout to form on her lips. "When did I say that?" But House had already dumped its previous contents in the sink. "What I said, what that you're a lazy butt." She grinned.

"Am I?" House pulled open the refrigerator door and rummaged through.

"Yes. And it's right there, on the side."

House looked to the right. "Oh." He took out the milk carton and poured until the mug was full to the brim.

". . . You know I drank out of that already right. . ?" Cameron asked as House made his way back to the table.

He gave her a nonchalant look. "Yeah. HIV is transmitted through body fluids. You know, through sex, drugs etc. _Not_ saliva. Don't fret." He gave a few pats on her shoulder.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "I know that."

"Oh. So . . . you were worried about koodies."

"No! I was just informing you the fact that I had already drank out of the mug, incase you fume afterwards and blame me for not telling you."

"Why would I 'fume'? Don't you think I'd be itching for an indirect kiss? Joining of the lips, transference of one another's saliva?" House squinted.

Cameron exhaled in defeat and got up to retriever her coat. "You know it's amazing. Somehow, you always manage to make everything so negative." She paused and added, "Not to mention disgusting."

"I hate it when people say 'not to mention'. They end up mentioning anyway." Seeing his own coat was on the clothes hangar, he started in its direction.

"Come on." Cameron handed him his coat jacket. "Get out. Work should be starting soon, Wilson's no doubt worried about you."

"Oh . . . crap." House stepped outside and breathed in the fresh scent of a Friday morning. He's going to need a clear mind to deal with Wilson's teasing.

> > >

The elevator doors opened.

House was just about to step out when the sight of Wilson's smug face came into view. _Damn it. _"Ah Dr. Wilson, how pleasant to see you!" he jabbed the 'close door' button with his cane. "Sorry, no time to dawdle."

Wilson slipped inside just as the doors clasped shut. "You never use the word 'dawdle'."

"Funny. I recall using it just seconds ago." He squinted, focusing absent mindedly on the solid steel doors in front of them.

"Slept well last night?" Wilson had a smirk on his face.

"Yes in fact I did." But he sounded unsure.

"I would have too. Curled up in bed with—"

House cut him off as he cleared his throat.

Wilson chuckled. "—with a warm cup of coffee. Or was it a mug?"

House coughed out several times. _How could he have—?_

"I guess the phenol gas is still having a toll on you huh?"

"Looks like it." He paused. "But this isn't getting us anywhere."

"Exactly. So why don't you just tell me about it?"

"No. I was talking about the elevator."

Wilson looked up to see the display panel still read '2', they had forgotten to choose a destination. He laughed and shook his head. "Where to?"

"Away from you." House tapped 'open door' with his cane and limped out. It hadn't gone as bad as he thought it would.

> > >

"Mrs. Wei, I'm just going to get a blood sample from your daughter." There was a bit of frustration in Chase's tone as he reasoned with their patient's mother.

"But Lin's only 7! Are you sure it won't hurt her?" the woman was near tears.

"It'll only sting a bit. We need to test for any viral infections present."

Seeing she wasn't the least convinced, Foreman stepped in. "Please, this is important. The sooner we confirm a diagnosis, the better her chances of—"

"Surviving?" Mrs. Wei cupped her face in her hands and shook her head. "No, she can't die . . . she can't . . ." she trailed off in tears.

Foreman gave Cameron a strained look, pleading silently for her help. Cameron nodded and moved beside the woman. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Mr. Wei, what Dr. Foreman meant was that it's better to start the treatment as early as possible, so Lin could get better sooner. Trust me, your daughter's conditions are fairly stable, the antibiotics should be suppressing her fever right now." She paused. "We really _do_ need a blood sample."

Slowly, the woman nodded her consent, she looked frail. Cameron smiled knowingly. "You're doing the right thing."

"Here, let's go grab you a cup of coffee in the cafeteria." Foreman offered. It would be wise to extract the sample without the presence of a paranoid mother, who knows what she'd do. "Or . . . tea, if you prefer."

Again, she just nodded and started walking alongside Foreman. To call it a walk was already pushing it; a shuffle might be more accurate.

They rounded a corner and collided with House. "Damn!" House grunted and clutched his leg, fumbling out his Vicodin bottle.

"Dr. House, are you alright?" Foreman advanced to help, but House waved him back. He dry swallowed a few pills and gritted his teeth. "Fine."

Noticing the woman, he muttered to Foreman. "Isn't that the patient's mom? I didn't know you took a liking to married Asian women with kids." He flicked his eyebrows up just once.

Foreman glared at House only to see the grin on his face. "Good for you." House added and hobbled off.

"Who was that?" the mother asked.

Foreman frowned. "No one important, ignore him. Let's go."

Back in the patient's room, Chase had already acquired Lin's blood sample. She sure took it a lot better than her mother. "Rest well." He headed off and motioned for Cameron to do the same.

"I'll be just a minute." Cameron pulled a chair next to the hospital bed and sat down. She placed the back of her fingers on the young girl's forehead. "Looks like your fever's gone down a bit." She smiled.

Lin nodded cheerfully. "Do you think I can see all my friends soon?" she rubbed her eyes.

"Yes I'm sure. Now you just relax alright?"

"Okay, Dr. Cameron." She grinned.

Cameron turned as the steady 'tap tap' of a cane neared. "Dr House." She greeted him.

House hobbled over to where she was. "Are the antibiotics doing their job?" he bent over and pressed his palm on the patient's forehead, it made her shiver. "Good." House was just about to retreat his hand when the girl took a hold of it.

"Hey doctor, your hands are really cold. Don't you think so, Dr. Cameron?" Lin brought his hand up and laid the back of it against Cameron's cheek.

The warmth of the rosy shade of flesh made his fingers tingle. Uncomfortable, House started to pull away when Cameron turned her head abruptly. For a flicker of a second, his fingers brushed against her supple lips. She grabbed his hand in her own and locked gazes with him. House felt his heart rate increase and his throat stifled. _What is she thinking, this is a patient's room for crying out loud! She can't— _But when he saw the sternness in her spheres, House realized that they were not filled with love, or desire, but urgency.

"House." Her voice was firm. "Your hands are not cold, they're warm."

House's eyes shot wide open. She could not have been any clearer. Turning his attention quickly to the patient, he saw that she was now writhing around in her bed; sweat pouring down her pale face, now clouded with an agonizing frown. "Shit. Cut the drip, her body's reacting negatively to it. Her fever's rising back up." House held her squirming arms down securely. "Somebody! Get in here!"

**

* * *

A/N: Yep, I thought I'd turn back to our medical side of the story, I'm hoping to complete this soon. Want to get on with my other story, which is barely started. >>;**

**I really think I can commit to this, your support really is very important to me. Thank you so much in advance.**

**ACMD**


End file.
